


How Did We Get Here?

by weaverofdreams45



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Divorced Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley, F/M, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Minister for Magic Hermione Granger, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Post-Hogwarts, Widower Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-13 13:19:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18469756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weaverofdreams45/pseuds/weaverofdreams45
Summary: After 20 years of marriage, Hermione Granger finally admits that she's unhappy, but how did she find a new happiness in the arms of her best friend?





	How Did We Get Here?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Weeaboocorpse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weeaboocorpse/gifts).



> This is a birthday present for one of my best friends, so this is for her! I hope she likes it.

**\- February 20, 2021 -**

One thing that no one tells you about divorce is that you still love them.  It was hard to not cry as she packed up her life with him.  There were pieces of him, pieces of them together all throughout the house.  She couldn’t walk into a room without a million memories reminding her of the times they had been happy, and it nearly breaks her down…nearly makes her question why they were getting a divorce in the first place, but then she remembers.

She remembers the late nights spent screaming at each other, the weeks when they had barely spoken, the terrified look in Rose’s eyes the first time he had seen Ron storm out.  Closing her eyes tight, as if wishing all of her pain away, she took a deep breath.  She might’ve been sitting there for a minute or an hour, she didn’t know, but eventually she opened her eyes and put the frame in a box.

Being a witch, she could’ve just spelled her belongings, made them pack themselves, but there was a certain closure in having to face her demons.  When she was 17 and had just survived the hardest year of her life, it was easy to fall into Ron’s arms.  They were big and warm, and she loved him, but soon the real world came back.  She had gone back to finish her schooling and he had gone into Auror training.  For a few years they were good, they were happy.  They had Hugo and suddenly everything seemed to fall apart.  She was never going to be the kind of girl to stay home with the children, and it had become harder and harder to not notice Ron’s resentment towards her for it.

Fighting became commonplace and had she not gotten pregnant with Hugo, she was sure that their marriage would’ve been over then.  But then she had Hugo and Ron finally convinced her to stay at home.  Caring for two children occupied her time, but then it was all she did.  During those early years when she was home with the kids, she barely saw anyone.  Harry and Ginny stopped by for playdates, and Neville and Hannah would pop in for tea during breaks from Hogwarts, but she spent a good amount of her time wishing that she had never gotten married in the first place.

Sometime around Lily’s eleventh birthday, Ginny got sick with Dragonpox.  Being the stubborn witch, she was, she always insisted she was fine.  By the time Harry found out about it, having seen her bloody handkerchiefs, it was too late.  She died just shy of her thirty-eighth birthday, and Harry found it harder and harder to come around.  Neville and Hannah had kids of their own and they stopped coming around too.  Rose going off to Hogwarts had been one of the happiest moments of her life, and she found herself wishing he didn’t have to go.  Three years later, when Hugo went off Hermione didn’t even know what to do with herself.

She wasn’t even sure when she had realized how different Harry was, how different she was, and how well those two different people seemed to work together.

**\- September 1, 2020 -**

“Did you pack everything?  Your book list?  Your parchment?”  Hermione fussed over her son, smoothing a stray hair as she knelt in front of him.  She knew that he had everything, he probably actually had too much, but it was still hard for her not to worry.

“Yes mum.  I’m not a baby.  I’ve been looking forward to going to Hogwarts for ages.  I’m gonna try out for Quidditch.”  Her son was the spitting image of his father, throwing her slightly off-balance as she saw in him the same goofy grin that had captured her heart over a decade before.  She looked in his eyes, the one thing she had inherited from him, and she found herself crying.

“Mum…”  Hugo whispered, looking around to see if anyone was looking.

“Oh stop blubbering Hermione.”  Ron pulled up next to them with Rose in tow.  Now in her fourth year, Rose was turning into a beautiful young woman, and she had inherited Hermione’s love for academics.  She held her arm out, becoming Rose to come give her a hug.

“I can’t help it.  He’s my baby.”  She placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled him in for a tight hug.  The train’s whistle went off then, alerting her to how close they were to leaving.  Harry, who had been notoriously anti-social since Ginny’s death appeared next to them then, with his three children in tow.

“Hello Harry.”  She greeted, as he nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement.  He looked terrible; did he always look so terrible?  His green eyes seemed darker, hollow and dark.  There were purple bags under his eyes, and before she could say anything Lily approached her, wrapping her arms tightly around Hermione’s waist.

While she loved Rose with all her heart, she had too much of her father’s pride in her.  Lily was so soft-spoken and kind, and if Hermione had to be honest, she wished that Rose could be more like her.  Albus was next, giving her a polite hug with very little outside interaction.  He looked expectantly at his father who dismissed him with a firm head nod when he had said his hellos.  Rushing away, Al approached a blonde-headed child who could only have been Scorpius Malfoy.  He looked too much like his father, and Hermione found herself darting her eyes away.  Last was James who was in the phase of teenage-hood where he was too old to like adults.  His hug was brief and accompanied by a glance around to make sure no one had seen him be affectionate.

“Well all of you should get on the train before you miss it.  Don’t want to have to drive there.”  Ron joked, bumping Harry with his shoulder.  To Harry’s credit, he did manage a smile, however forced.  That was the first time that Hermione noticed just how bad Harry was.  The children all ran off, and as the train began to pull away, Hermione couldn’t help but frown.

“Don’t worry ‘Mione.  They’ll be fine.  Hugo will be a Gryffindor just like his sister.”  She nearly scoffed.  How could Ron possibly think that was why she was upset.  Remembering where she was, she just swallowed her argument, instead focusing her attention on her best friend.

“Are you alright Harry?”  She asked, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder just like she had for her son.

“Honestly Hermione I don’t even remember a time when I was last alright.  With Ginny gone…” There was an obvious pain in his voice, and she couldn’t help but stare at him in concern.  It was like she was seeing him for the first time.  Harry was not the boy that had saved her from that troll when they were 11, or the boy that she had spent a year in a tent with hunting down horcruxes.  No, this boy was someone entirely new, harder, but broken.  Hermione found herself staring again for a new reason.  Ron, never one to discuss his sister’s death, tried to change the subject as quickly as possible.  He offered that they should all get lunch, which Harry declined.  They went out anyway, which she and Ron fought about later.  But that was the first time she noticed Harry.

**\- September 19, 2020 -**

“Happy Birthday Mione!”  A loud voice called, waking her from her sleep.  She groaned and turned over, trying to shut her eyes tight enough to bring her back to her slumber.

“Yes, thank you Ronald.”  She supplied, trying her best to smile, though she could sense how hollow it seemed.  The two had been extremely on edge since sending their younger child off to Hogwarts.  Ron had been working longer hours, and some days Hermione didn’t even bother speaking to him.

“So, I know you don’t like birthday presents, but I had to get you something.”  His hands held an awkwardly wrapped package in brown paper.  She could tell before opening it that it would be a book, and undoubtedly a book she already owned.  That had been her present for the last four years, and she never had the heart to tell him.  Upon further inspection, she realized she was right, forcing a smile and kissing him quickly on the lips.  She lingered for a moment, hoping.  When nothing came, she sighed, finally pulling up the courage to have the conversation that she had been putting off for nearly 15 years.

“Ron do you…” She paused, trying to figure out how to say it.  “Would you be okay with it if I went back to work?”  It was an important question, that she had been waiting to ask.

“Mione…”  Her name sounded awful on his lips.  The genuine confusion in his voice only made it worse.  “We’ve discussed this, you don’t need to work.  I’m taking care of us.”  His answer hit her, and finally something snapped.

“I can’t do this anymore!”  She cried, sitting up and pulling her knees tight to her chest.  “I can’t pretend that I’m alright.  I’m miserable Ron.  I just…I can’t do this.”  Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she couldn’t break down.  Not yet, not when there was still something to say.

“What do you mean you can’t do this anymore?”  Ron bellowed, standing at her words.  This was his way, never the one to have a serious and calm adult conversation.  If he wanted to shout though, Hermione could shout.  She had two decades of unhappy marriage to fuel her rage.

“I mean exactly what I said Ronald.  I can’t do this!  I have been someone’s mum since Rose was born.  I want to do more with my life.  I loved you…I do love you, but I can’t stay married to you if that’s all I’m going to be.  You were never happy when I was working, so I quit.  You weren’t happy that I wanted to wait to have children, so I got pregnant.  You weren’t happy, so I yielded, I gave in, I lost.  Did you ever once ask me what I wanted to be?  What aspirations I had?”  She glared at him as she asked, realizing that they were now on opposite sides of the bedroom.

“I thought you wanted a family!  You wanted to be a mom!  I didn’t make you do anything, you offered!  You decided!”  Ron stood firm, anger in his eyes as they rehashed the same arguments he had used when she had quite before Rose’s birth.

“Yes well Ronald, I have made another decision.”  Her voice was cold as she spoke, her eyes drying as she made her decision.  Wordlessly calling her wand to her hand, she made eye contact with him.  “I will be round later this week to get my things.”  Without another word, she apparated away, landing in the living room of 12 Grimmauld Place.  Before she could collapse into her sorrow, she raised her wand, placing an anti-apparition barrier on the house and warding it against Ron.

Harry wasn’t there.  Of course, Harry wasn’t there.  He was at work, and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement clearly didn’t have the time to lounge around in the mornings.  Once she had finished her wards, she sunk to the floor, allowing the tears to come.  That was how Harry found her hours later, sitting on the floor, clutching her knees.

“Hermione?”  His voice called.  She didn’t even look up at him as he made his way over from the fireplace.  “What are you doing here?  Wasn’t I coming for dinner later?  What’s going on?”  His questions just caused her to begin to cry again, and he gave up on asking her.  Sitting next to her, he put an arm around her, pulling her into his shoulder.

“Okay.  Whatever it is, you can tell me when you’re ready.”  He placed a soft kiss on her head, and they sat in silence for another ten minutes until Hermione’s eyes dried up.  Her head ached terribly, an unfortunate side effect of the amount of crying she had done, so she kept her eyes closed.

“I left Ron.”  She finally spoke, her voice small and cracking.

“Left him where…”  He began, before he realized what she had meant.  “Oh…wow…I mean I’m not exactly surprised, but I just never thought you’d really do it.”

Her eyes snapped up to his as she heard his words.  “What do you mean you’re not surprised?”  She was indignant.  How could he not be surprised?  Was it obvious?  How long had it been obvious?

“Well…ummm…you and Ron haven’t really looked happy together since…honestly since Hugo was born.  Even before then, you two just didn’t seem to have the same passion for one another that you used to.”  His words seemed to make sense to her, so she just nodded in acceptance.  Her mind had been running at the rate of a million thoughts per minute, and Harry slowed her down; made her comfortable enough to feel what she needed to.

She decided to distract herself by looking at him.  He didn’t look much better than he had when they were sending the kids off.  His eyes were maybe a little bit less sunken, and his eyes had a little more life in them, but he still didn’t look like the boy she’d known.  He was 40 now, some stray grey hairs mixing into his black hair.  Wrinkles laid on his face, but in a way that made him look even more handsome, refined in a way.

“What happens now?”  Harry asked, as Hermione’s breathing evened.

“Well I suppose I’ll move out.  I already told him I’d go back tomorrow and get my things.  Can I…Can I stay here?  I know that you’re still in mourning, but I…I just don’t have anywhere else.”  Her voice broke as she realized what she was asking.  Harry was still dealing with his wife’s death the year before.

“Of course Mione.  I won’t take sides…after all Ron is still our best friend, but you’ve been so unhappy for so long.  I think this is the right thing for you two.”  His words fulfilled some need she had for validation, and she found herself smiling.  It was a small, sad smile, but it was a start.

“I wouldn’t want you to take sides.  That’s why I need to get out.  I still love Ron, but I don’t know how much longer I could live like that before starting to hate him.  I had plans you know…I was going to be the youngest Minister of Magic there had ever been.  I was going to fight for equality for all magical creatures.  I can’t…I can’t blame Ron for my life, and I certainly wouldn’t trade Rose and Hugo for the world, but I just…”  Hermione stared at her best friend, finally realizing why she didn’t see the boy she had known.

“Do you ever wonder what might have happened if it had been you and I?”  Harry stared at her for a moment, his expression asking her for clarification silently.

“For the longest time, I was caught up in Ron and you were caught up in Ginny.  I always wondered what might have happened if we had been caught up in each other.”  She closed her eyes, avoiding his face.  She didn’t want to see his reaction.  “Never mind, I’m just being silly.”

“No…its not silly.”  She heard him say, feeling his hand push a stray curl behind her ear.  “I…I’ve thought about it…That is…Not that I was unhappy with Ginny, but she was comfortable.  I love…loved her, but now that she’s gone I…I just don’t feel the way I think I should.”  He seemed to be rambling, but she didn’t stop him, still amazed that he had thought about it too.

“I guess I just saw what Astoria’s death did to Malfoy and I expected that I would feel that way too.  I mean eight years later and Malfoy has never even looked at another woman and yet here I am with Ginny being gone only a year trying not to notice how beautiful you are.”  There was a stiffness in his posture a second later and Hermione and he turned to each other as they both realized what he had said.

“You think I’m beautiful?”  Hermione squeaked out, her voice barely a whisper.

“Merlin Hermione…I mean I always have.  You know, that right?”  There was a need in his voice, and she turned to catch his eye.  His gaze was fiery, but she couldn’t look away.  It was like he was burning her from the inside out.  They were close, close enough for her to feel how hot his breath was.

“Harry…”  She whispered his name, and then there was no distance between them.  His lips crashed against hers with a desire that they were both feeling.  This kiss was different than every kiss she had shared with Ron.  Warmth and longing filled her, and she put her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him.  Something about this kiss was…right.  Like this was how it was always meant to be.  His fingers weaved themselves into her hair, and she put her fingers through his, closing any space between them.

Just as quickly as they had crashed together, they pulled apart, like a wave going back out to sea.  They panted for a moment, staring at each other as they caught their breaths.

“I…I’m sorry.”  Hermione started, feeling a rush of warmth to her face.  Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

“You don’t have to be sorry.  I kissed you back.”  There was a warmth to his smile that just made her feel worse.  She had left her husband just hours ago, and yet here she was kissing her best friend.  The worst part of all of it, was that she had never kissed Ron like that.

“I know I just…I just left Ron this morning, and I know that that kiss meant something to me.  I can’t…I won’t start anything until I’m sure that its not coming from my sadness or frustration or disappointment.  And what if we’re just two lonely, hurt people who are trying to fill a void?”  Her words were rapid, and she knew she was talking too fast, but she could hear her heart beating in her ears, the gravity of the situation hitting her.

“Hermione…”  He began, grabbing her hand in his and bringing it to his lips.  “I’ve been loving you for 20 years.  I can give you the time you need to be okay with this.  It meant something to me too.  More than I’ve felt since Ginny got sick.  I know that you need time, any person would, but let me know when you’re ready, and I’m willing to give this a try.”  His voice was kind, and Hermione found herself once again appreciating the man sitting in front of her.  Searching his green eyes for confirmation, she sighed loudly, cuddling into his side once again.

“Can I still stay here?  While I take my time?  I don’t know how long it’ll take to find a new place.  I guess I’ll have to get a job too.  I could always try to get my old job back, I know a bloke at the DMLE.”  She winked at him, and they both laughed, earning a genuine smile from her for the first time that day.

“Do you now?  I hear the new head is pretty tough.  I could probably put in a good word though.”  His tease was light-hearted, and she found herself rolling her eyes.  She had missed this companionship; she had missed her best friend.

They ordered in from a Chinese food restaurant down the street, and by the time it was late enough to sleep, Hermione found herself feeling exhausted.  The weight of her decision truly began to hit her as she trudged up the stairs to the guest room.  She tossed and turned for a few hours before finally giving up, making her way to Harry’s room.

“Harry…”  She called as she pushed the door open.  She wasn’t surprised to find him awake when she walked in.

“Couldn’t sleep?”  He asked, scooting over to make room for her on the bed.  They had met like this more than once after the war.  Without her parents, she had nowhere to go, so she had moved into Grimmauld place.  She and Harry both had nightmares though, so more often than not she would sneak into his room and they would try to make it to morning.

“Did I make a mistake?  God Harry what have I done?”  She began to cry again, and he nearly laughed at the look of frustration on her face.  He always thought this was when she was the most beautiful.  Her borrowed pajamas fell loosely around her frame, and her wild curls were even more unruly than normal.  The low lighting made it so he could just make out the light freckles on her face, and the golden flecks in her eyes seemed to sparkle.

“Hermione I honestly can’t tell you if it was a mistake, but what I can tell you is that you have not been yourself for years.  The girl I knew at Hogwarts would never have let herself be talked into anything.  The girl who fought Voldemort by my side for years would never have derailed her dreams.  This is honestly the most Hermione I’ve seen you since we were 17.”  He laid down, pulling her down with him and settling them both under the covers, facing each other.

“How did it come to this?”  Hermione asked, her eyes wide as she stared at his face, memorizing the wrinkles near his eyes and how they looked when he smiled.

“After the war, you just wanted to settle, so you settled.  I suppose I did too.  But you don’t have to settle anymore.”  Hearing him say it made it seem so simple.  She never meant to settle, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized he was right.  Her relationship with Ron had been comfortable, and it made her complacent.  Complacency led to discontent and discontent to misery.  That’s how she had gotten here.

“Thank you Harry.”  She started, biting on her lip nervously.  “Thank you for everything, and for giving me time.”

“You’re my best friend Hermione.  Whether you are ever ready or not, I want you to know that.”  She nodded, turning away from him and finally finding sleep.

**\- June 27, 2020 -**

“Oh Rose!”  Hermione called, catching sight of her daughter’s long red hair as it exited the train.  She was talking with some other Gryffindor girls, but when she saw her mother, she made her way over.

“Hey mum!”  After a tight hug, Rose looked around nervously, and Hermione sighed, knowing that she was looking for Ron.

“Your father is finishing up some paperwork and then he’ll be here.  He and Harry.”  She tried to act casual when she said Harry’s name.  They had been dating since Christmas, but they hadn’t told any of their children.  Telling Ron had been hard enough, and he hadn’t spoken to either of them for weeks after.  It took Molly threatening to disinherit him for him to finally agree to even hear them out.  Of course, once he had started dating some Irish witch he had met in Diagon Alley, his anger slowly melted away.

“Mum!”  She heard called out, and she knew it had to be Hugo.  Her son barreled towards her like a wild boy, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh I missed you so much!”  She spoke, squeezing him in a tight hug as she did.  He didn’t try to shake her off, instead pushing even further into the hug.  “You must tell me everything at lunch.”  A third head of red hair appeared next to her, and she was relieved to see Ron and Harry had arrived.  She gave Ron a comfortable smile, hugging him as well.

Rose raised an eyebrow at her parent’s exchange, not having seen them interact in a friendly way since she had been told of their divorce in September.  Hugo, of course, was too young to notice anything different, and was excitedly telling Ron all about how the Gryffindors had creamed the Ravenclaws in the Quidditch Cup.

Harry’s children gathered to him as well, along with a familiar looking head of blonde hair.  Hermione had found a sort of uneasy friendship with Malfoy after she started her job as an Auror, and she had agreed to pick up Scorpius from the Hogwarts Express while he attended some sort of Estate meeting with his mother.

The unlikely group made their way to Diagon Alley, having collected Teddy Lupin along the way.  She tried to ignore how close to Rose Scorpius stayed, but it was rather hard to ignore it.  Ron seemed blissfully unaware of their proximity and one quick look to Harry let him know.  Conveniently, Harry began engaging him with commentary on the latest Chudley Cannons game which seemed to sufficiently distract him while Hermione moved in for the kill.

“Scorpius.”  Hermione called, watching as he turned his head slowly towards her with his father’s same cocky smirk and she had to swallow her desire to call him a ferret.

“Yes Mrs. Granger?”  He was ever the perfect gentleman, slowing his gate to walk beside her.  Despite the fact he was the spitting image of his father, he seemed to have inherited some better manners.

“I just wanted to warn you to be careful about flirting with my daughter in front of her father.  While some of us have moved past our prejudices and rivalries, that is a hatchet that will never be buried.”  Her words caused him some confusion and she laughed, looking at him fondly.  He had the same look in his eyes that Ron always got when she said something muggle.  “It’s a muggle phrase, but it means that Ron will not take kindly to seeing you around Rose.  Be careful.”

Before he could respond, she gave him a dazzling smile and walked up to where Harry and Ron were now fiercely debating something Quidditch related.  Harry was tense, but his whole body seemed to loosen when she pulled up next to him.

“I know we agreed to wait until lunch, but its killing me to not be able to even hold your hand.”  If there was one thing she had learned in her time dating Harry, it was that he was hopelessly dramatic.  She just smirked at him, ignoring his whining.

“Ron, how are things going with Juliet?”  Since Ron had forgiven her and Harry, they were closer than ever.  All the animosity that had been building for years seemed to dissipate, and they realized that they were better friends than they ever had been spouses.

“Brilliant!”  He answered, lighting up like a Christmas tree at the chance to talk about her.  That occupied their conversation for the rest of the walk to the restaurant, and Hermione could feel her stomach twisting itself into knots as they approached it.  Harry, sensing her discomfort, signaled to Ron to go ahead with the kids, and pulled her to the side.

“What’s wrong Mione?”  He looked at her with such concern and such love that all of her worry nearly melted away.

“It was just silly nerves, but having you here, looking at me like that…I’ve never been more sure of something in my life.  Lets go tell our kids…and Teddy and Scorpius.”  Harry laughed at her addition, bringing her in for a tight hug before pulling the door open.

They allowed conversation to continue until their food was out, and then Harry shot her a quick nod and she cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the table.

“First of all, I want to congratulate all of you on finishing another year at Hogwarts.  We are proud of all of you…yes that includes Scorpius Albus, do not interrupt.”  Hermione couldn’t help but smile at her younger godson as he shot a triumphant look to Scorpius who was rolling his eyes but smiling all the same.  “As you all know, Ron and I have divorced.”  Taking a moment to gauge reactions, she looked at the confirmation painted on her children’s faces.  Hugo looked sad, but Rose had a very mature look of understanding.  It made sense, she remembered them at their worst.

“Well we have some more news.”  She purposely flicked her eyes to Harry’s face, gaining strength from his green eyes and the love that she knew glowed behind them.  “Harry and I are seeing each other.”  Their table went absolutely silent as Hermione and Harry waited for a reaction.

Rose was the first to break out of the stupor.  “I can’t say I don’t think its weird that you’re dating Uncle Harry, but whatever makes you happy mom.”  Hermione was proud of Rose, and how much she’d matured in the past year.  Smiling, she grabbed Harry’s hand as she waited for the rest of their reactions.  His three children seemed to start talking all at once.

“Hermione’s gonna be our new mom!”  Lily screamed with excitement.

“I can’t believe this.  You’re replacing mom!  That’s fucking messed up.”  James shouted angrily.

“Does this mean that I have to spend more time with Rose?”  Albus groaned, whining at the news.

Harry frowned at his children, successfully silencing them with a particularly nasty look.

“I don’t even know where to begin with you all.  Firstly, James.  You should be ashamed of yourself, saying that about Hermione.  Just because you’re going through the part of puberty where you’re angry all the time does not mean you can speak that way.”  James grumbled and sunk down in his seat, muttering some half-baked apology to Hermione.  She knew he didn’t mean it, but she did decide to speak with him privately later to see what he really thought.

“And you Albus, we all know you like Hermione better than me so don’t pretend to be upset.  And Lily, well you didn’t actually do anything wrong sweetie, but do try not to yell at the dinner table.”  Hermione was stunned with how well Harry handled his children.  She always knew he was a great dad, but she absolutely loved being reminded of it.

“I know this may seem sudden, and however you’re all feeling is perfectly understandable.  We don’t expect you to pretend with us if this makes you uncomfortable or angry.  Hugo, Rose, please understand that your father and I are friends, and this in now way means that he won’t be a part of our lives just as much, if not more than before.”  She moved her eyes to where James and Lily sat, before moving her eyes to Albus.  He winked at her and smiled, which made her smirk.  “And you all know that no one could replace your mother, and I promise you that is not what we’re trying to do, but I love him, and I would really love it if you would at least try.”  She directed this statement at all of them, but she locked her eyes onto James.  He had been the closest with Ginny, and she had expected him to be hesitant.

The table fell into an uneasy silence.  Hermione shot a panicked look at Harry, who just pulled her hand to his lips in response.  The rest of the lunch seemed to be weighed down by the news, but the children were content to ignore it and continue with their tales of their year.  When they got up to leave, Hermione saw James approach her.

“Aunt Hermione…”  James began, shooting a nervous glance to his father.  Harry sensed that he was the source of James’s discomfort, and excused himself to go talk to Teddy.  Before he left, he planted a small kiss on the side of Hermione’s head, pulling a curl loose from her bun.  She laughed and swatted at his hand before reconnecting with James.

“James I meant what I said, I am not trying to replace her…”  Hermione’s talk was cut off when James hugged her tightly.

“I know.  Dad hasn’t smiled like that since before mom died, and honestly, I can’t pretend that his happiness isn’t more important to me than whatever issues I have.  Just keep him smiling and I’ll eventually get over how weird it is that my Aunt is dating my dad.”  Pulling away quickly, she placed a loving hand on his cheek.

“What happened to wanting to die if you were seen liking an adult?”  She teased, trying to hold back how emotional she was from his acceptance of their relationship.

“Oh its fine, no one important is here to see it anyway.”  The nonchalance in his voice and the mischief in his eyes made her smile.  He was so much Harry’s son.

“That went much better than expected.”  She heard Harry’s voice come up behind her, and she yelped when he grabbed her waist.

“Yes it did.”  She agreed, moving her head so he could settle his own into he crook of her neck.

**\- January 15, 2027 -**

The tall wizard next to Hermione seemed annoyed and fiddled with his collar as they waited.

“I really am capable of picking up my son from Platform 9 ¾ without a guard.”  Her curly hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she had on a muggle business suit underneath emerald green robes.  There was only evidence of her aging in the lines underneath her eyes.

“Yes ma’am.”  A shorter woman agreed as she returned to her spot next to Hermione.

“Oh Sarah you’re back, where’s Harry?”  She searched the terminal, but didn’t see him at first, and then a flash of jet black suddenly appeared next to her, playfully picking her up and spinning her around.

“Harold you will put me down this instant!”  She insisted, the laughter in her voice inhibiting her ability to sound serious.

“Alright, alright.”  He agreed, gently letting her down as the taller man seemed to tense up.  “Sorry Jonah.  I know, gotta be more careful.  After all, she is the Minister of Magic now.”

She couldn’t help but smile at his reminder.  The election had been close, and she had nearly collapsed when it had been announced that she had won.  She wasn’t the youngest Minister of all time, but she was the youngest in the last 500 years, which she took as a slight victory.

“And what does that make you?  First lady?”  The teasing tone in her voice was cut short by a warm kiss. 

“Well actually that was something I wanted to talk to you about.”  Harry commented, and Hermione stared at him with confusion when Hugo approached her with a small velvet box in his hand.

“Sorry I’m late Harry, had to say goodbye to Frannie.”  Tossing the box to Harry, Hermione’s breathe caught as he got down on one knee.

“Harry?”  She choked out, already tearing up at whatever scheme he was fulfilling.

“Hermione Jean Granger, these past six years with you have been some of the happiest of my life, and I’m so proud of who you’ve become and who you’ve made me to be.  You’re the girl who was by my side through everything, and I was kinda hoping you’d be the woman to be at my side for the rest of my life.  I knew I loved you when we were 11, but it took me twenty years to really see you for the first time.  I love you so much, will you marry me?”  She was nodding before he even finished the question, smashing her lips to his as he rose.  A cheer rang out in the crowd, and she became suddenly aware that everyone was staring.

Hugo clapped Harry on the back in support before giving his crying mother a big hug.  She smacked his arm lightly as she sobbed.

“You knew about this you little demon?”  Her voice kept breaking as she cried, and he just smiled and nodded, hitting Harry was a fist bump.

“What can I say?  I’m a master at misdirection.”  Normally she would’ve questioned him, knowing that George had been secretly sending him a basket of treats from his shop, but at the moment she was too distracted.

**\- November 11, 2027 -**

The wedding was the event of the century, according to the Daily Prophet at least.  She had wanted a small, intimate ceremony, but that plan went out the window the moment that a picture of the proposal had landed on the front page.  It was huge news, the pending nuptials of two-thirds of the Golden Trio, or well a different two.  Luckily, Juliet seemed incredibly eager to help plan, having enjoyed planning her own wedding to Ron so much.  Harry and Hermione were more than willing to allow her to take the reins.  All they needed were each other and their children, everything else was extra.

She was unsure who to ask to be her maid of honor, having had Ginny fill the roll the first time around.  Eventually she had decided to ask Rose, who was overjoyed.  Harry, after a long talk with Ron, determined that it would be incredibly weird for him to serve as best man at his ex-wife’s wedding to his best friend, so he asked James.  Angelina and Lily rounded out Hermione’s bridesmaids while Ron and Dean rounded out Harry’s.

If someone had informed Hermione when she was 17 that she would be marrying Harry, she would have laughed.  But here she was, in the bridal suite putting on a beautiful lace tea-length dress with long sleeves.

“Mom you look spectacular.  Grandma did an amazing job with your hair!”  Molly Weasley, strangely enough, claimed that she always knew it would her and Harry in the end, and had not been surprised at all when they had told them they were getting married.

“Thank you Rosie.”  She smiled warmly at her daughter.  Now 21 years old, Rose was an exceptionally brilliant young woman.  Rising quickly through the ranks of Wizard Law, she just knew that her daughter would be the chief warlock of the Wizengamot before long.

“Its time my dear.”  Molly warned, nearly crying as she looked at Hermione.  The white dress fit her very well, flaring out at her waist.  Her hair was half up and half down, pinned into place by whatever spell Molly had used.  A veil hung from the back of her head down to the middle of her back, gracefully draping around her.  Rose had kept her glamour charms light but insisted on a red lip.  “I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become…both of you.”

“What about me grandma?”  Lily protested, having grown a little more confident after leaving Hogwarts.  She had found her happiness opening a little bookshop café in Diagon Alley, having made quite the splash when it first started.

“Well of course you too Lily.  I’m proud of all of you.  And I just know that if Ginny was here, she would agree.”  They shared a meaningful look, long enough for Hermione to express just how much that meant to her, but short enough that she didn’t start crying.  Rose would go mental if she had to redo Hermione’s makeup.

“Alright then girls.  I’m ready.”  Hermione thought back to that moment outside the restaurant.  To back when she had decided to tell them all about her relationship.  She had been nervous to do so, but one look in Harry’s eyes and she knew that she was sure.  That was the same feeling she had now.

Rose handed her the bouquet, and Arthur Weasley appeared next to her to walk her down the aisle.  He had done it the first time around and had been delighted to do it again.  Taking a deep breath, she stepped out.  Harry was wearing dark grey dress robes, his signature jet black hair disheveled as it always was.  When she looked up at him, he caught her eyes and mouthed beautiful.

When she finally reached Harry, it was like the rest of the world melted away, and it was just the two of them in the world.  She was vaguely aware of Lee Jordan speaking, and she heard enough to follow instructions when prompted.  Soon it came to the vows, which had been the one thing from a muggle wedding that Hermione and Harry had insisted on.

“Harry you may go first.”  Lee invited, and Harry pulled out a roll of parchment from his pocket.

“Hermione…”  He had only just begun and she could already feel herself beginning to cry.  “You have been my best friend since I was 11, and now I am honored to also be able to call you my wife.  Despite my numerous foolish attempts at heroics, you managed to keep me alive at a time where I had very little understanding of just how much danger I was in.  Whenever I did something stupid…”  He turned to the crowd, “Which was often.”  He turned back, satisfied by the laugh that he had gotten.  “You were always there to pick me up and put me back on track.  These last six years with you have just shown me that I am who I am because of you.  I love you so much, and I’m so glad to be able to spend every day for the rest of my life proving that to you.”

Grabbing the handkerchief Rose offered her and dabbing her eyes, Hermione pulled out her own vows.

“I knew I should’ve gone first.”  She joked as she wiped her eyes one last time, handing the now damp fabric to her daughter.  “Harry.  In the time that I have spent with you, you have shown me what it means to love fully and give fully.  You have always thought of others before yourself, and that is something I always admired about you.  You’re my best friend, and the love of my life, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to be in love with my best friend.  People always talk about the concept of soul mates, and I never liked it because I never wanted to consider myself half of a person, but then you loved me.  And then I understood, because I have never felt more complete than when I’m with you.  I was never half a person, but you have made me better; smarter.  You challenge me every day to be better than I was the day before.  I can’t wait to live the rest of my life as your wife.”

By the end of her speech, everyone was crying.  Molly was absolutely sobbing into Arthur’s shoulder, and Lee even had to clear his throat before moving on. 

“It is my distinct pleasure to pronounce you man and wife.  You may kiss the bride.”  Harry didn’t have to be told again, and he connected their lips.  He dipped her slightly, which caused her to glare at him and playfully hit his shoulder.  She was sure of two things in that moment, Harry was the love of her life, and she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him.


End file.
